INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

CB-22Nyasaland: Transition to theAfrican State of ,alaw

July 14, 19633 Richmond Close, HighlandsSalisbury, Southern RhodeSia

Mr. Richard NolteInstitute of Current orld Affairs366 ,ladson AvenuNew York 17 New York

Dear r. Nolte:

On Friday, June 28h, a European man, a girl and a boy were beatenup by he white-jackeed bodyguards of Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda,Prime inister of Nyasaland, because they didn’t pull off he roadin fron of his procession.

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This hasn’t been the first incidence of violence since this smallcorner of the now-defunct Federation was granted self-rule. AColoured political leader was seriously beaten by Dr. Banda’s body-guards when he tried to see the Prime Minister; opposition Africanpolitical leaders have been threatened and ,attacked (one has dis-apDeared completely); just three weeks ago it was reported thatIndians living in Chiromo, 62 miles south of Slantyre, had to fleefrom terrorization by some 300 red-shirred Youth League members ofDr. Banda’s !alawi Congress Party. But this was the first time thatEuropeans have been attacked and it sent a shiver of panic throughthe European community, just awakening to the fact that they nolonger control the country.

Harvest of discontent?

In the light of Nyasaland’s history however it may seem strangethat such an attack hasn’t happened before. Nyasaland was carvedout of Central Africa by colonial-minded Englishmen in the lasthalf of the 19th Century and the British Imperial Governmentformally took it over as a protectorate in 181. A primitivecountry in resources it hd little to lure the English settler(its 153 population: 9400 Europeans 3,000,000 Africans). ButEuropeans have dominated the country administratively and economically.They have been the masters and the Africans the servants a societyof paternalistic segregation which kept the Black man "in his place".

TANGANYIKAL.MWERU

Fatts|SALISBURY

SOUTHERNBulawayo

RHODESIA

In 1953 the joining ofNorthern Rhodesia. SouthernRhodesia and Nyasalandinto a Federal Governmententrenched hite dominationof the territories andAfrican nationalists inNyasaland sa federationas the barrier that mustbe broken if they ere togain control of their owncountry.

Leaders of the NyasalandAfrican National Congressnow the alai CongressParty asked Dr. Banda tocome home from Ghana wherehe as practicing edicineto take over the le,dershipof their struggle. henhe arrived on July 5 158he dedicated himself to thedeath of the Federation

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and total independence for theMalawi people. As his campaigngrew in intensity he and over100 others were imprisoned(detained say the British)

Recounting ths event later,Dr. Banda said, "You know whatthey did? They picked me up inmy pajamas, put me in their stupidplane and took me to their stupidprison in Gwelo (Southern Rhodesia).Then someone in Salisbury made abig speech in his so-calledFederal Parliament and said ’I havefinished Banda’ Had he? Well "

When _.the, M..a!.aw_ians. had their _way

It was not long afterward thatthe British Government, feelingthe winds of change, formed a newconstitution and in the election of

Dr. Hastings Banda 161 the Malawi Congress Party (MCP)on a Malawi poster candidates won an overwhelming

victory. With wide support amongAfricans and Indians, Dr. Banda pushed for self-government and theright to break away from the FederatiOn. This right was promisedhim in 1962 and this year is all his. Self-government came intoeffect on February 1st, this year. Dr. Banda became the first Primeinister and talks on the dissolution of the Federation have justbeen completed at Victoria Falls. Complete independence for Malawi(the new name which will replace ’Nyasaland’) is scheduled for theend of the year.

" Dr. Banda said "We have defeated the European’qe have won,settlers. And," remember_ng, no doubt, the treatment of the Africanin the past, "any European who cannot accept an African Governmentand treat Africans with respect is no longer welcome."

But even today many of the uropeans in the country act as i theywere still living in another age. They have not been able to acceptthe act that most o the continent is now ruled by African govern-ments. They are shocked at how quickl Aricans have taken overthe country. To them it is out o place for an .&frican to be drivingwith an escort down the highways and dining in the best hotels. Itannoys them.

qhile awaiting African friends in the lounge of a hotel in BlantyreI shared a table with a ]uropean farmer who filled my ear with attacks

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on America and the UN for driving the European out of Africa. As hebegan a lecture on the foibles of Africans my friends arrived. Hestammered grew red. and left. For the next hour we were the mainattraction in the hotelo It was as if no African had ever sat therebefore and my friends took great delight in their notoriety. Itwas hard to believe that Africans ruled this country.

In another hotel English settlers bitter over the break-up of theFederation talked about their fears of an African government. "Idon’t think they really understand us at home." These people arecertainly not "at home" in the country where they live. very newsitem that came over the small radio at the end of the bar proclaimedthat their world was coming to an end. The 15 minute newscast thatevening entioned:

-that Civil Servants in Nyasaland called a meeting to protestagainst the attack on Europeans and to demand protection oftheir rights;

-that Sir Roy Welensky Federal Prime inister had deploredthe worsening of rac relations in Nyaaland;

-that uropean was found shot in the Congo;-that the Federation would be dissolved by the end of the year;-that Kenya ould become independent by December;-that the East African Federation was going ahead successfully;-that Zanzibar will be getting independence soon;-that the United States is planning to speed up integration.

Glumly those around the bar shook their heads in dismay and orderedanother drink.

The new Ministers are extremely sensitive and protective of theirnewly acquired positions. They passed an edict stating that allcars must give way to the rime Minister whose car is usuallypreceeded by an bCP :Laad Rover with blinking lights and a siren. Itwas a call for courtesy to the leader of the country. It was alsoa practical consideration since some of Nyasaiand’s roads are toonarrow for cars to pass safely at speed.

As a news item, this was reported objectively in the conservative..S,u,n.day _ail, published in Salisbury. "It is understood here thatthe practice of pulling aside for the Prime inister’s car is notsuch a novelty and has something of a precedent in old BritishColonial custom. This same treatment was accorded to the Governorwhen he travelled and the cars pulled over on the road when he passed.ost Europeans saw the matter quite differently. An edi,torial inthe same edition reflected the "settler" attitude. "The comic-operaedict has been proclaimed that Europeans and Africans must give wayto Dr. Banda’s car- an edict that Dr. Banda having lived so longin London must have known would make him look ridiculous."

Some Europeans just ignored the ruling. There were reminms andfinally Dr. Banda warned that such insults would not be tolerated.Finally his bodyguards took his statement literally and set the

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European community in an uproar.

.r. Kanyama Chiume, Publicity Secretary for the Party and Governmentinlster for Education and Social Development reiterated his party’sattitude when he said, "One bad individual can spoil the name of acommunity. So it is in the case of those Europeans who showdeliberate nsolence and rudeness to the Prime Minister, either onthe road or otherwise. It will be wrong for anyone to think thatthe cultivation of good ill is a one-way street, the sole duty ofAfricans. Any European or foreigner who behaves rudely to thepeople of this country is a danger to racial harmony and deservesthe extreme condemnation of all who want racial peace."

,T,h_e Indians, men in...the: middleWhile it is surprising that there haven’t been more incidents againstEuropeans, hat really comes as a shock is the fact that most of theattacks fall on the hapless Indians and Africans.

Most of the Indian community in Nyasaland are Moslem and businessmen.They profess allegiance to the African Government and consider them-selves to be Malawian. They try to avoid trouble and do not crossthe political powers of the country.

But just as the Europeans look down on the Indtans the Africansleaders as well as the rank and file have little respect for them.They look upon the Indian’s present attitude as an attempt to be onthe right side. They believe the Indians would quickly change if astronger power came along. Even Indians ,ith political staturelike ,r. Sattar Sacranie, legal advisor to the h’Ialawi Congress Party,are mistrusted and despised. Mr. Henry Masauko Chipembere Minister

of Local Government and right-hand manto Dr. Banda, describes ir. Sacraniecontemptuously as "too clever". "Hetalks so fast and smoothly that wehave often agreed to things before wefully understood what they were allabout.

Yr. Sattar Sacranie

Even moderate-speaking John Msontht,llnister of Trade and Industry whohas just returned from a visit toIndia told me he disliked Indlancontrol of local trade. "They are notone of us. They std most of the_rmoney out of the country back home.But they are very clever. They areable to get around most financialrestrictions....."

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Nr. Henry Chpembere, Minister of Local Government, Mr. KanyamaChume, Minister or ducaton and Social Development, and Mr. $ohnMsonth, Minister of Trade and Industry, share the platform.

African party members have increasingly intimidated Indian merchantsand have forced them to support the party if they valued theirbusinesses or their lives. And now they say "the Indians grovelbefore us trying to win favors. How can we respec+/- people likethat?" One Government official condoned the violence against theIndian community: "Perhaps the Youth [.eague acted unwisely andrashly but it is difficult to control fully their strong feelings(about having been pushed around for so long) and perhaps it is thebest and quickest way for non-Africans to understand that we willnot be dominated by anyone in any way."

The party quickly quieted the recent incident in Chiromo and Indians,including one who was reported to have been attacked, have appearedon a public platform with Dr. Banda to say that "all is well" andthat reports of their troubles were exaggerated. Perhaps the SouthernRhodesian Indian leader was right when he described the situation inNyasaland as "normal". "This sort of thing always happens to us inthe period of transition in any country."

One Countr one_.. PartY -. Nalaw_!

Neither Europeans nor Indians can join the Malawi Congress Party,although some believe they are members. Chipembere assured me thatonly Africans could claim membership in the ruling party. When Itold him I had talked with Indians who claimed to be members hesaid that if they had membership cards they had them by mistake or

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fraud. I told him that some MCP local officials had invited me tojoin. He claimed they were just "overly friendly". "When 1 got

"Chiume and I went +/-o the Doctor and" he continued,out of Drson,asked him about membership Dolicy and he told us it had notchanged, only Africans can be members.

"If we al]o.w Europeans in they may easily work their way to thetop in the party or in the Government because of their bettereducation. If we allow Indians n they may be able to do thesae because of their wealth. We are not White or Indian haters,we just do not want to be dominated. We want to rule ourselves."

Theoretically it is possible for non-Aft{cans to participate in theelection of Local Government Councils but recently when an Indianwoman was elected, Chipembere, as Minister of Local Government, hadher removed because her election was a "dangerous precedent".

There is no room for a newspaper that criticizes the Government orreports unfavorable facts. And certainly no dissident African voicesare allowed. The doors of Government are closed for Africans whoreceived their experience n local government under the Brtishdminstration: their loyalties are in question. Even chiefs whosupport the MCP are suspect because they once served English mastersand because they stand in the way of a unified state. A number of un-cooperative chiefs have already been deposed. When I suggested toChembere that at this rate the country would soon be w]thout anychiefs, he agreed, that was the idea.

All this is excused by a hesrty defense of the one-party state."A one-party system is not necessarilySattar Sacranie explained,

undemocratic. At this time we can’t afford the luxury of anooosition. We must unify our people to work for the country s awhole. We have to overcome tribal divisions and traditionalloyalties. Our democracy coes within our prty system. At ourmeetings we discuss and criticize, .ake proposals and decisionswhich are passed along to the Prime Minister 8nd the Executives ofour party.

"You must not judge us by your Western ways but by our own; oururoblems are very much different and more complicated than theway you see them.

"Dr. Banda is not undemocrati If he were, the present trend ofunity might be something to worry about."

W.ha a__b.put D..r, Band.a,. th.e.. ",!OP o.f Va!awi’_’?

Although Dr. Banda has repeatedly emphasized that there v::ill be nospecial privilege for &uropeans in Nyasaland he has been considered

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by many to be a moderate man who wants to build a multi-racialcountry with all races cooperating under the leadership of anAfrican government. Liberal Europeans appear to be with him butwish he would make a strong statement against the use of violenceoHe has never openly ordered violence but many of hs statementshave offered excuse to some of his more rabid followers to excessesin his name.

While I was there he was busy conferring with heads of his partyabout the uproar the violence against Europeans and indians hadcaused. As far as he was concerned the reported incidents occurredat a most unfortunate time just as Mr. Butler, the British ColonialSecretary was conferring with delegates from the Rhodesias andNyasaland on the break-up of the ederation. Sir Roy Welensky (JCB-21)took advantage of the situation to make the most of his dyingpolitical power and said that if the Nyasaland Government could notmaintain law and order he would send Federal troops in to protectEuropeans and Indians. Nothing could be more calculated to in-furiate Dr. Banda than the insinuation that his Government couldnot adequately run the country. He saw it as an attempt to stopNyasaland from becoming independent. But he said nothing. Insteadthe Governor General Sir Glyn Jones, made a statement that thereports had been over-emphasized and that there was no breakdown of18w and order in Nyasalando

Then just as everything seemed to have been smoothed over Dr. Bandacame out with a scathing attack against Sir Roy the panicky BrtshCivil Servants who petitioned Mr. Butler to have the British Govern-ment intervene to maintain law and order, and against reporterswho first made the episodes public. Two were warned to leave thecountry ("Or we’ll eat you alive, announced Chiume)

The time laose between the incidents and his public statement raisedthe question of whether Dr. Banda was really in control of the partyor the tool of his two lieutenants, Chiume and Chipembere.

They were among the major leaders who called Banda home and theyhave publicly proclaimed their loyalty to, him. They extoll hiswisdom and guidance ("There is nothing between Dr. Banda and God,"

"except atmosphere ") and they have denounced anysays Chiume,reports of inter-party differences.

They may be loyal followers but they appear to have more controlover the party achinery than the Doctor. Chipembere holds a semi-court every day where the common folk bring their problems and hehelps them. Both men exert a powerful influence over the decisionsthat are worked out in the Prime hinister’s chambers and someEuropean admirers of Banda blame them for the racial extremism andrio ].ence.

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This view is countered by Chipembere’sstatement, ,,If I attempted to moveagainst this great man I would becrushed in less than an afternoon andmy political career would be finished.But it is inconceivable that I woulddo such a thing. Without the Ngwaziwe would have nothing."

Dr. Banda, speaking at his inaugurationas Prime Minister, also asserted,"They brought me here to lead them,therefore I must lead. I am notgoing to be a rubber stamp....everyonewho knows the political realities ofthis country knows that there is onlyone leader ."

It is possible that Dr. Banda has beencaught up unwillingly in the policy hehas so long articulated while demandingAfrican independence. !te can’t verywell denounce publicly the .ctions ofb.is followers who, in their rabidAfrican nationalism, have reactedviolently to the past and presentarrogance of non-Africans. Anysuch statement of moderation might beinterpreted by his followers as anindication of softness, or of Indianor Buropean influence. He is popular

Mr. Chipembere and hr. Chiume now because he stands for what theoff to the United States people want. He may feel thet his

popularity is not strong eno,,gh %ovoice moderation to the over-exuberant pro-African feelings of hisfollowers. When he spoke out on the "attuck on Buropeans" crisis,he sounded rather like a .politician from a segregationist statereassuring his electorate than like a reasonable Head of State.

Whether it is true that the Prime Minister’s intemporate statementshve been the result of hurt pride, whether he was merely supportingthe policy of his two aggressive lieutenants or naliating his party,or whether what happened was by his order and a true indication ofwhere he stands, they raise doubts about where the country is going.

And the "present trend of unity" does cause grave concern amongpeople of all races in Central Africa. UNIP officials in NorthernRhodesia told me Dr. Banda had become a dictator and they made itclear that while they also believed in a strong one-party state,

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Nyasaland was not the example they had in mind.

oderate Africans (supporters of Mr. Nkomo) and liberal Europeansn Southern Rhodesia are also upset about the trend n Nyasaland.They realize that 11 reported cases of violence in a year do notndcate a lack of law and order. They know that the hialawians areusually a happy and friendly people and that much good is beingdone there. But the wild language, the threats, the breakdown ofdemocratic method and finally the increased tempo of violencethere have made the road to independence n Southern Rhodesiamuch more difficulto European fears have been further hardenedmaking a violent conflict more robable and a non-racial stateless likely.

Sincerely yours

Pictures courtesy of the Nyasaland Information Office

Received in New York July 30, 1963.